Signaling system for railways.



L. H. THULLEN.

SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS. APPLIOATIONVIILED JULY 5, 1906.

1,043, 1 70. Patented Nov. 5, 1912. v 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. v III R g Q Q N mun] Figs].

L. H. THULLEN. SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 5, 1906.

1,043,170. I Patented Nov. 5,1912.

2 SHEET S-SHEET Z.

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rtrnn STATES P LOUIS H. THULLEN, OF EDGEWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORTO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA.

SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed July 5, 1906. Serial No. 324,731.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS H. THULLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny'and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signaling Systems for Railways, of which the following is a specification. 1

My invention relates to signaling systems for railways and especially to railways, the track rails of which are included in and 'form part of the return path or conductor Figs. 2 and 3 are views similar to Fig. 1, but

showing modifications of the signaling system.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

Referring now to the drawings, A designates a portion of a railway which is divided into sections X, Y, Z, etc. These-sections are generally termed block or track sections and I will hereinafter refer to them as blocksections. These block sections are formed by inserting insulation a in some form at determined points in one or both of the traffic rails, the one arrangement being the equivalent of the other in so far as block sectioning is concerned, and both being well known in the art. In the drawing I have shown insulation a inserted in both of the t-rafiic rails.

P designates an alternating current generator for propelling motor cars along the railway. T designates a trolley or third rail connected with one pole of the power generator and extending along the railway in a usual and wel known manner, and with which cont-act devices carried by the motor cars make contact.

As the rails of the railway, one or both, are to form part of the return path or conductor for the propulsion current and still contain insulation to form block sections, I

make provision for conducting such current from the rails of one block section to the rails of anadjacent block section around the points of insulation. This I accomplish by means of inductive bonds, located at the in sulated points which inductive bonds each comprise a core and a winding or windings surrounding the core. The inductive bonds are of such construction and arrangement as to afford a path of low ohmic resistance for the propulsion current, from the rails of one block section to the rails of another block section. A form of bond which I preferably employ is described and illustrated in my co-pending application filed February 27, 1906, Serial No. 303,155, and which is diagrammatically illustrated in my application filed February 5, 190 1, Serial No. 192,146. These bonds generally stated each comprise a laminated iron core which may or may not have an open magnetic circuit and a winding of several turns. The ends of the winding are connected with the two rails of the block section, while a conductor extends from the middle of the winding, and which conductor is arranged to be connected to the middle point of the winding on an adjacent inductive bond. In the drawing I have diagrammatically illustrated the bonds and electrically joined together at adjacent ends to form in effect one winding. In such case the point at which they are electrically joined is the middle point of the winding.

6 designates a conductor oining the middle points of two adjacent coils. This conductor as will be seen, may be common totwo adjacent coils. The rails, of course, will be connected to the generator in the usual and well known manner understood in this art. Thus it will be seen that the current taken from the feed conductor T and after passing through the car motors to the rails will flow through the rails and winding of the bonds back to the generator.

It will be seen that the propulsion current in its passage through the windings of the inductive bonds flows in at their ends and out at its middle point or in at its middle point and out at its ends in reverse or opposite directions, the result being that the core is not appreciably magnetized, so that the inductive bonds may be used as impedances. for alternating signaling currents used in the track circuits. This has been all set forth in my application hereinbefore' referred to, Serial No. 192,146.

.The foregoing, it will be seen, is directe more particularly to the arrangement of the track in the return path or conductor of power circuit whereby the propulsion cur-- rent flows along it yet it is divided into insulated sections to form the block or track sections of the signaling system. -The signaling system which I employ is of the 'au- "tomatic. type, that is, 'the'railway signals governing. the passage of cars or trains along the railway are automatically controlled by thecars or trains as they travel along the railway.

The several block sections of the railway are each provided with ,a closed track circuit, which as is well known, comprises a source of current, theopposite lines of rails ofthe block section and a relay. I employ an alternating current in the track circuit,

the, frequency of which .is the same as the frequency of the alternatin car propulsion current, but of a different ase. The relay which I emplo is". of that type of motor which isopera le by alternating currents differing in phase. Such t es of motors are well known. and will not e herein specificallyQillustrated or described.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawings,.K designates transformers, one. being provided for each block section.

The primary of each transformer .K is in multiple circuit with the feed .wire T and track rails, and the secondary 1s connected -with the track rails of its block section. In.-

cluded .in this secondary is a reactance J or other device which'acts to produce a delay of phaseoithe signaling current. F designates a relay'in the form of a motor, which op- "erates with alternating currents of different.

phases or two different phases of the same alternatin current. I have. illustrated two coils.F one ofwhich F is connected with. the track rails of the block section for which the relay is provided, while the other railway signal. The armature has a limited movement in each direction and any desired means for accomplishing this may be provided. A railway signal G is provided for each block section and may be any 'of the well known automatic types, that is, the type of railway signal employing a signal device .8 and an operatlng mechanism for moving course, when the car or train moves out of the block section the operating mechanism moves the signal device to its position which indicates that the block section is clear.

Referring now to Fig. 2, this figure illustrates the same form of the invention as that illustrated in Fig. 1 with the exception that the transformer H is dispensed with, and an additional. winding is is placed on each transformer K which is in circuit with one of the coils of the relay F, or a coil of the relay may be in circuit with one of the two windings of the transformer K.

Referring now to Fig. 3, this figure illustrates the same form of invention as that illustrated in Fig. 1 with the exception that a device for regulating the phase of one of the relay coils is employed. It is well known that thepower factor of the alternatingcurrent operating a car or train is a variable quantity, the power factor varying through a wide range. The varying power factor is due to the fact that the alternating current propelling the car or train is out of phase with its E. M. F., and the angle of phase varies according as the load and speed of the car or train varies. As the phase of the alternating current furnished bv the secondary ofthe transformer H is determined only by its own circuit andso would be constant, it is a parent that the propulsion current, if s ciently out of phase with its E. M. F. might operate the relay F, if a difference of potential between rails, due'to the power current, should occur for any reason. To overcome this, I have included in the circuit of coil F of the relay a phase angle changing device P here shown as being in the form ofa variable reactance. The

varlation in reactance is obtained by means of inserting or Withdrawing from the coil the laminated iron core P The movement of the core P is under the control of a motor device which is also operable by alternating currents of different phase. L designates such a device. One of its coils L is in circuit with the secondary of the transformer H, while its other coil L is in series circuit with the track rails of two adjacent-block sections. It is apparent that a difference of phase in the two coils L and L" of the motor L will rotate the armature. The rotating of the armature causes the iron core P is the propulsion current, any difference of phase angle between these two currents will cause a rotation of the armature of the mo tor L, to move the core P in the ,coil 1?,

thereby increasing the lag of the current in the 0011 F The angle of lag between the E. M. F. and the propulsion current willnot usually exceed about 45 degrees and the angle of lag "between the E. M. F. and the track current may be made nearly 90 degrees. It is therefore apparent that even if sufiicient reactance is inserted in the cur rent traversing thewinding F of the relay 1* so as to cause the angle of lag in the our rent traversing this circuit to be the same as the propulsion current, about 45 degrees, there will still be a suflicient angle of, lag be tween the alternating track current and the alternating current traversing coil F to opcrate the relay F. With this arrangement of apparatus I therefore cause the current traversing the coil F of the relay to be automatically controlled so that it has the same phase as the propulsion current, therefore the relay cannot be operated by the combined action of the current in the coil F and the propulsion current which might flow through the coil F while at the same time I obtain sufficient angle between the current traversing the coil F of the relay and the signaling current to operate thls relay. 1 a

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: v

1. In combination with an electric railway, the trackway of which is divided by insulations to form block sections and serves as part of the return path for the propulsion current for the cars traveling along the railway, an alternating current generator for supplying the car propulsion cur rent, means for conducting the propulsion current from the track rails of each block section to the track rails of the adjacent.

different phases, one of which is supplied from the track circuit, another of which is supplied from the alternating current genlis erator, and means controlled by variations in the phase of the return propulsion current flowing along the track rails for varying the phase otthe last-mentioned current in the relay.

- 2. In combination with an electric railway the trackway of which is divided by insulations to form block sections and serves as part of the return path for the propulsion current for the cars traveling along the railway, an alternating current generator for supplying the car propulsion current, means for conducting the propulsion current from the track rails of each block section to the track rails of the adjacent block sections, a track circuit for each block section, alternating current supplied to each track circuit from said generator but of a diflerentphase from that of the alternating propulsion current, an alternating current relay for each track circuit operable by a plurality of alternating currents of difierent phases, one of which is supplied from the track circuit, another of which is supplied from the alternating current generator, and a means whereby the phase angle of the last mentioned current in the relay is controlled by the variation in the phase of the return propulsion current in the rails of the trackway.

3. In combination with an electric railway the trackway of which is divided by insulations to form block sections and serves as part of the return path for the propulsion current for the cars traveling along the railway, an alternating current generator for supplying the car propulsion current, means for conducting the propulsion current from the track rails of each block section to the track rails of the adjacentblock sections, a track circuit for each block section, alternating current supplied to each track circuit from said generator but of a difi'erent phase from that of the alternating propulsion current, an alternating current relay for each track circuit operable by a plurality of alternating currents of different phases, one of which phases is supplied from supplied from the alternating current generator, and a means whereby the angle of lag of the last mentioned current in the relay is maintained the same as the angle of lag of the return propulsion current in the track rails for the corresponding block section.

4. In combination with an electric railway the trackway of which is divided by insulations to form block sections and serves as part of the return path for the propulsion current for the cars traveling along the railway, an alternating current generator for supplying the car propulsion current, means for conducting the propulsion current from the track rails of each block secthe track circuit, another of which phases is railway the track rails of which are intion to the track rails of the adjacent block sections, a track circuit for each block section, alternating current supplied to each track circuit from said generator but of a difierent phase from that of the alternatingpropulsion current, an alternating current relay for each track circuit operable by a plurality of alternating currents of different phases, one of which phases is supplied from the track circuit, another of which phases is supplied from the alternating current generator, and a means whereby the angle of lag of the last mentioned current in the relay is maintained the same as the angle of lag between the return propulsion current in the track rails and the volt- .age for the corresponding block section.

5. In combination with an electric railway the trackway of which is divided by insulations to form block sections and serves as part of the return path for the propulsion current for the cars traveling along the railway, an alternating current generator for supplying. the car propulsion current, means for-conducting the propulsion curpropulsion current, an alternating currentrelay for each track circuit operable by a plurality of alternating currents of different phases, one of which is supplied from the track circuit, another of which is supplied from the alternating current generator, and

means controlled by variations of the phase of the return propulsion current in the track rails of a block section for varying the phase of the last mentioned current in the relay.

6. In a signaling system for an electric cludedin the circuit of the propulsion current, track sections formed by insulations in the track rails, a source of alternating propulsion current, means for conducting the propulsion current from track section to track section around the insulations, a track circuit for each track section, means for supplying each track circuit with current from the said source but differing in phase from the voltage of said source, a relay for each track circuit operable by a plurality of alternating currents difiering in phase one of which currents is supplied from the track circuit .and another of which currents is supplied from the said source independently of the track circuit, and means controlled by yariat-ions in the phase of the propulsion cuigrent in the track rails for varying the ph se of the last-mentioned current in the relay, and railway signals controlled; by the relays, I

7. In a signaling system for an electric railway the track rails of which are included in the circuit of the propulsion current, track sections formedby insulations in the track rails, a source of alternating propulsion current, means for conducting the propulsion current from track section to track section around the insulations, a track circuit for each track section, means for supplying each track circuit with current from the said source but differing in phase from the voltage of said source, a relay for each track circuit operable by a plurality of alternating currents differing in phase one of which currents is supplied from the track circuit and another of which currents is supplied from the said source independently of the track circuit, and means controlled by the propulsion current in the track rails for maintaining the lag of the last-mentionedrelay current the same as the lag of the propulsion current behind the voltage of the said source, and railway signals controlled by the relays.

8. In a signaling system for an electric railway the track rails of which are included in the circuit-of the propulsion current, a source of alternating propulsion current, a

track circuit, means for supplying to said.

the propulsion current in the track rails for varying the hase of the last-named relay current relat1ve to the voltage otthe' said source in accordance with variations of the phase of the propulsion current in the rails relative to the voltage of the'said source, and a railway signal controlled by the relay.

9. In a signaling system for an electric railway the track rails of which are included 'in the circuit of the propulsion current, a

source of alternating propulsion current, a track circuit, means for supplying to said track circuit alternating current from said source but difleringin phase from the voltage of the source, a'relay comprising two windings one of which is energized from the track circuit and the other of which is energized from the source of propulsion current independently of the track circuit, and means controlled by the propulsion current in the track rails for varying the hase of the last-mentioned current in the re ay in accordancewith variations in the phase of the propulsion current relative to the voltage, and a railway signal controlled-by the relay. v

10. In a signaling system for an electric railway the track rails of which are included in the circuit of the propulsion current, a

source of alternating propulsion current, a track circuit, means for supplying to said track circuit alternating currentfrom said source but differing in phase from the Volt age of the source, a relay operable by a plurality of alternating currents diil'erin in phase one of which currents is sup lied rom the track circuit and another 0 which is supplied from the source independently of the track circuit, an adjustable impedance included in the circuit of the last-named relay current, and a motor device for the control of said impedance comprising two windings one of which is energizedby the pro pulsion current flowing in the track rails and 15 propulsion current in the track rails, and a railway signal controlled by the relay.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscrlbed Witnesses.

LOUIS H. THULLEN. Witnesses i GEo..E. Causn, W. L. MCDANIEL. 

